Sheet-feeding device



Dec. 9, 1930. c. E. cHRxsToPHEL v 1,784,336

SHEET FEEDING vDEVICE Original Filed Aug. l. `19224 4 Sheets-Sheet l A Trie/mrs. f

c. E. cHRlsToPHEL SHEET FEEDING DEVICE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Aug. 14, 1.924

9 Arron/dns' C. CHRISTOPHEL SHEET FEEDI NG DEVI CE Original Filed Aug. 14, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 D 9, 1930. c. E. CHRISTQPHEL 1,784,336

SHEET FEEDI NG DEVI C E Original Filed Aug. 14, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 r the Patented Dec. 9, 1930 i Uurrun stares PATENT OFFICE CARL CHRISTOPHEL, DECEASED, LATE OF PEARL RIVR, NEW lYQ'LPZK, BY UCI-IE FIRST NATINAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY OF PEARLV RIVER, NEVI YORK, EXECUTOR; SAID CHRISTOPEEL ASSIGNOR T0 DEXTER FOLDERv COMPANY, 0F NEW ZO-K, N. Y.,

A CGE-PGRi-'TIOIT OF NE'W YORK SHEET-FEEDING- DEVICE rgnalr application-filed August 14, 1924, Serial No. 782,046, and in Great, Britain August 10, 19,25.

Divided and this application filed January 3, 13.937, Serial No. 158,72'1.4

i Figs. 3 and 4 are details of the clutchV rlheV present invention is an improvement in sheet calipering devices particularly adapted for use in association with feeders for printing presses,but adapted foi-,use in any association where such a device is desirable.

The principal obj ect of the invention is to provide a simplied and eiiicient calipering device. `liferetofore, the calipering mechanisms used have been cam-operated and caliper-ed either on the front or rear edge `of the sheet, or sometimes both. These devices were objectionable because of the necessity for adjustment of the cam, because of the limited area. of engagement of the calipering members with the sheet, and because of the limited time the members were in calipering position during one cycle of the machine. The present object has been obtained by providing a calipering device that operates throughout thelength of the sheet being fed, and by eliminating the cam operation and the consequent necessity forl adjustment of the cam. lThe control is instantaneous, and

absence of the cam obviates the time element. mediately set upon the passing of more than a predetermined thickness at any time during the operation ofthe machine, and if the calipering element engages any foreign substances thicker than the predetermined thickness for which the calipering device was set. Then it is considered that sheets as large as 53 by 74 have heretofore been calipered only over `an area of about 6 inches, theV advantages of the present calipering mechanism wili be manifest.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the inventive idea, andY wh erein Fig. l is a side view of a printing press of theflat-bed variety with which is associated a feeder equipped with a calipering device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail, showing the drive 'from the intermediate press gear to the power distributing point at the pivot about which the pile feeder swings 5f The connections to the clutch are imenewed September 27, 1929.

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2;

Fig.y 5 is a perspective detail View illustratingy portions ofV a pile elevating mechanism, control therefor, and means for forwarding the sheets; and Y Fig. 6 is a detail view of the calipering mechanism andthe yfeeder driving mechanism controlled thereby. f

f `Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, it is pointed out that the'y present application is a division of myco-pending application Serial No. 7 32,046, tiled Augustll, 1924, and that the invention is shown, for purposes of illust-ration, in association with a pile feeder for a printing press of the well known flat-bed type. rlhe mechanism is, however, adapted for various other uses and purposes.' In Lthe particular embodiment illustrated in the drawings. the pile feeder is mounted on a frame which is pivoted to one of the side framesof the printing press. this` -pivot is preferablyin the rform of a vertical stationary shaft 50, and the frame of the feeder comprises a plurality of transverse members 5l, 52, 53 and 54, and kvertical nicmbers ono of which is indicated at 55 and which lat-ter are carried by the member 5l and connected to the. member 53. The'lowest transthereto in which is mounted a roller 57 that rides on a track 58 projecting from the rear frame of the press. The feeder is thus swung about the stationary vertical shaft with little effort from its position in association with the press to a position as remote from the same as desired, so thateasy access is had to the rear of the press forplacing the forms on the bed of the press or for making corrections and alterations to the form. Thefeed'er frame is so constructed ind arranged that it will stand at any desired place along the track to which it may be moved, and means such as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 732,046 above referred to, may be provided for locking the feeder in association with the press when sheets are to be automatically fed from the pile to the impression cylinder.

, sheet',fowarder,y

prefer-"ably'drivenfroin the press or other de-y The various parts of the pile feeding mechanism, asheet separating mechanism, and a iereinafter referred" to", are

vice to Vbefe'd, by an intermediate'gear59 which-'is driven from any suitable Source of power througha belt y61, a pulley 62mountedon shaft,L 63,-` and a pinion ,64 lcarried on the shaft 63 and meshing with and driving said intermediategear 59. This intermediate gear 59 meshes with and drives the 'cylinder Agear 65' that ismountcd on a. shait 66 on whichthe impression cylinder 67 .is carried.

- vertical shaft 76 which projects'through 'a'j The drive of the Ypile feeder iseiiect'ed ,througha gear 68 that meshes Vwith the intermediate gear 59.V VGear 68 hascompounded therewith a bevel gearv 69that mesheswith a bevel gear '(0 mounted on one end Vof ashaft 7Iprovi'dedfwith universal connections' 72'and 73. j They other'e'ndoiA shaft 71 is prov vided with a bevelfgearl that meshes with a bevelgear 75lmounte'd on the lowery endof a.

i* gear casin 77 thatis pinned to shaft 50 by a' pin 781'- hisgear casing may be provided with a suitablecover'plate (notshown) and 'Y .has aneiitended portion@ vthat projects into abi'acket 80 which' normally rests on a Vshoul- V der, 81 onsaid casing. yThe bracket 80 is se- Vings. Y Y A, The'j bevel, gear l7 5 vis 'fixed on the lower end of. the shaftd76,fasby apin 85, and-the gearv86'that nieshesgwith amiter gear 87 cured to the feeder frame, and bolted to said bracket isa bracket82 in whicha short transverse shaft 83 and a cam shaft 84 have *bear-` upper' ondof saidjshaft 6 carries amiter 'mounted fon thel .short transverse ,shaftV v83. This Kshaft' carries tin-f elongated .pinion/89 which inesheswith ay large gear 90f1nounted on the'camshaft 84 of thefeeder.'y Said shaft l84 has also inountedthereon a two-part clutch, oneipart 92 being keyed on the shaft '84 and thejother 93being loose thereon, the gear being 'compounded with the part 93. The clutch is adapted to opened by the operation? of thccalipering mechanism hereinafter described, or manually, to disconnect the driving mechanism of the feeder. The piley of .sheets 94e lis carried yon a sheet ,support 95 which is automatically elevated so that the uppermost sheet of the pileds always 'presented to the separating mechanism in the de slr'ed mannerand atthe desired place. The

Y Jile'niay be elevated automatically andlnay e elevated manually. A means whereby automatic elevation ofthe pile 1s effected and controlled includes a governor arni96, on the free 'endof which is mounted a roller 97 that engaes the topmost sheet of the pile. The arrnn mounted on a rocks-shaft 98 tending tonio'tej in a counterclockvvise direction (Fig.

i '5)iinderth,action of al spring 9.9.

Duriiigthe normal peration of the feeder, a cam 100 on the gear 90 bears against a rllei 10,1011 pivotally mounted arm 102v sufiiciently to counteract the pressureofa spring 103`and thus relieve'thefk engagement of a catch" y104i with a hook'105'on`a pivotally mou'nted arm 106 controlled by the rock- A shaft y98 Vand yspring 99. "It will thus'vappear y that, if theN roller 97, is'lowerfed by the springl 99, Vas when asuf'cienty number of 'sheets have been `fed ofi'rthe top ofthe ypile Y94, the hook 105 could disengage itself from the catch 104, inwhich event-the spring 103 would force the arm 102- and theroller 101 rearwardly Further, in this event, an'V arm 107 formed integrally'wwith `the arm 102 would swing downwardly, lowering a link108, swinging a bell crank .10Q-+ on a sha-ft .111, and raising a pawl112 the distance of one tooth of a *Y ratchet 113 ixedfon shaft 1-11,the'conncctions from' which to the pile support'may' besuch -as shown, in mv copending application Serial No. 158,770, flied January 3,119.27, Y'rimmafter, as the arm 102 wasforced'lto thelft rrr(as shown in Fig. 5) by the cam`100,"the shaft 111 would ber'otated in a clockwise direction .5

V'sothat they latter would follow the cam 100. y

the. distancetof one tooth of the ratchet 113,

thus elevating the pile support95v a. corresponding distance through the medium of the connections'between said shaft 111 and the supprt95. As thiselevation of the pile l .teeth 114 provided on the periphery of clutch part 92, which gearfteeth mes with an elongated pinion 115 mounte'dfon afslioi-t stub shaft 116, with whichl pinion there isV comf pounded'a bevel gear 117 that nie'sh'es'ivith a bevel gear 118 carriedbv one `end of a. 'Bowden f wire 119'. The otheren'd of this flexible shaft is connected with the sheet separatingmechaj nisni as disclosed in my copendlng applicai f The clutch memberk 92 toward the right by a. spring 120that tends normally to hold it in clutched relation with its'companion part 93. This sprin' encircles the ca-in Shaft'84. Adjacent sai 'spring and carried-,by Said shaft 84 yis a 'gear 121 (Fig. 6). This gear drivesv the mechanism'-y for operatingthe valves that controlthe distribution of air `to the sheet separating mechanism 122 (Fig. 1) andtoa sheet for- A warder such as disclosedin my copendingapplication Serial No. 7 32,046. AdJacentzgear 121 is a gear 123 that meshes withl'a pinion 124.7caried by a stub shaftj125, which shaft alsocariies a gear 126 thatninesheswitli a pinion 127 carried by a shaft 128. yThis shaft is springpressed carries the 'feed roller 129 aroimd-which pass the tapes 139 ot a Vconveyor for carrying' the sheets from ,the ieeder to the press.

Compounded with gear 123 isan internal cam 131 in 'which engages a roller 132 car r'ed by air-arm 133 pivotedgon a hollow bushg 134i carried by the vtraine of the machine. ,il is arm isprovided at its free rend with a 136 mounted on a tube 137 through which motion is transmitted to the sheetf'iorwarding;` device which includes the sucker mouths 138,' 136l 5). ritter the sheet isseparated fromV the pile 91 by the sucker 133 1l ot the sheet separating mechanism, said sheet is seized along` its forward edge by the sucker mouths 133, 136 which move the sheet from thepile to the feed roller 129 and rollers 129,'129 which rest-on and are driven by theeed roller 129. i

The'successive sheets as they pass between the feedroller y129 vandthe rollers 12,9, 129', al

otacalipering` mechanism positioned in the line or feed ot the sheet. lt only a single sheet is i'ed, the device will not'operate.v It morey .than one sheet-is ted, or it more than one thickness is "presented to the caliperingl y elements, the caliperingmechanism will operate 'to interrupt the various feedingA opera--` tions. s y

' Thecalipefinp,` member 139 isrpreterably a roller over which the sheet passes and the calipering member 1110 is preferably a pivoted segment under which the sheet passes, and means areprovided tor adjustingthese ele#Y ments toward and 'tromone another. This adj'ustme'ntis secured by means of a lever 141 pivoted at 142 to the caliper housins said is maintained in engagement with the `plate leid, by a spring` 14T which has its opposite (.Xtieniities connected with the forward end ot lever 141 and a projection 14? oi the liov 3' 1&5. respectively. The segment 14() is pir the lever lellat 148. and ad oted to justinent ot' the latter will effect the movement of the upper caliperingl -ineuiber or pivoted segment teva-rd or away from the lower caliperingl member or roller 139.

rlhe roller 139 is mounted on a shatt 149 carried by a part of the housing` 1415. Thisv roller is rotated by one oi the conveyor tapes, the tape for rotating the roller being indicated at k150. To'edect rotation of the roller 139,'a rubberv coating 151 is placed over part i ico-ned section 135 that meshes with a gear 'so pass betweenl the two elements 139 and of the same and is engaged by said conveyor tape 150. The tape is pressedinto engageinent with said rubber coating 151 by a roller 152 t-hat is mounted on an arm 153 carried by the lever 141, the pressure of said roller 152 on the7 conveyortape150 being4 adj usted'by neans ofa spring 15d, the spring` adjustment being modiiied'by an adjusting1 nut 155.

When a sheet passes between the roller 139 and the sector 1,40 during the normal opera: tion of the machine, and when only one sheet at a time is being fed, the sector' will remain substantially stationary. It, howevenfinore than a single thickness is ted between the roller and the sector, the sector will move in the direction oi the sheet-feed, thus moving the upper end of said sector. This upper end carries a pin 156-that engages in a slot`15? in the tree end ot a leverl 158, the other end ot which is secured to a transverse rod 159. The movement of' this lever` will cause the trans'- verse rod to be swung' in a clockwise direction (Fig. A detent 16() carried by thisV rod will accordingly be swung kaway from a weighted pendant 161 provided ,with a tooth 162, which weighted pendant is pivoted on a pin 163 which projects througha slot 164 in the side trame of the `i'eeder and which pin is carried by one arm'165 of bell'- crank lever which is pinned to a clutch throwout shaft 166.1 The pendant 161 is so weighted that, when the detent is swung away from the same, a tooth on the pendant 161 will be moved into engagement with'one of the teeth on a ratchet wheel 167 mounted on the feed roller shaft 128. y

The bellfcranlr'lever 165 which is fixed on the clutch throwfoutshaft 166, is provided with a snap-action spring 166, a pin 169 Fig. 1) being; pivotedto one end of the lever and passing through an eye-bolt 170 secured to the side frame ot the feeder. The spring` 168 which encircles the pin 169 reacts against one arm ot the bellecran'k 165 and the eyebolt 170. The eye-bolt 170 is so positioned with respect to the pointy at which the pin 169 is connected 'to the bell-crank lever165'as to securely hold the samev against a stud 171 fixed to the side of the feederframe. This position Aot the parts corresponds to the nor mal operation of the machine when the caliper is not operated. `When the caliper is operated and the ro `tation of the 'feed roller shaft 108 causes the weighted detent 161 to be depressed. the bell-crank 1,65 will rock the shaft 166 and hold it ixedly in that position until the parts are manually returned to their upper position. 1t will be noted that the clutch throwout shaft 166 extends completely across the machine, said shaft projectingl through tubes 137 and 5d. On the shaft 166, preferably at the end remote from the bell crank 165, is an arm 172, in the free end of ,which is nu au mounted a rollerfl''fwhich engagesbetween j VtheY two 'parts92 and 93g ofthe clutch mem- V ber.V Thepart92 ofthey clutch member is 1lil the shaft 159 is rocked bythe movement of# provided with a cam surface 92 which, Vas

clutch 1nemberx93-` Thisfacilitates the separation ofthe tvvo` parts of theV clutch, andU holds theclutchlpart 93in place during thisl operation. t f v It Will therefore 'be appreciated that when the sector in the direction thatrthe sheet is fed, the detent 16D .willy befswung awayfi'om y `the weighted pendant 161 so` that .the latter,

will 'engage the ratchet 167 and tbe depressed by the rotation ofysaid ratchet, thus, through the" bell-crank 165, rocking the cluteh'throwf out shaft-166 anddepressing the ar1n172 so that the frol'ler y173 Will engage the camrsurface 92, onthejclutch member 92 and ,sepay rate the twoparts ofthe clutch. inasmuch@ j `as all of the operations at the feeding mechanism are'controlled'by the driven*member,`

i y92-of the clutch, it will appear that, when Yso the'driven clutch member 92 has been movedy out of engagement y with the driving; `clutch memberas above described, the drive fior the feeder mechanism will be disconnected. Itv will be noted that the calipering device hasjnogtimed element, and that, therefore,

the parts will be immediately set upon the action of the calipering member. Theoperation; of thev calipering'device, entirely interrupts the feeding operation of the feeder so that no sheets arefed to the Vconveyor 130,

' `13() until the eXtrasheet or sheetsfedto the calipering mechanism have been removed. The parts-of the calipering mechamsm are then lreturned to' their inoperative positionr and the normal operationlof the machine resumed. A v l K While one Vexpression yof the inventive idea A has been' described and illustrated herein with more or less particularity, it is tobe expressly understood that [this invention 4is not limited thereto, andthat the invention may be ems kbodied in a variety of mechanical expressions Vwithin vthe scope of the appended claims. What is claimed is :f Y

A 1. In a calipering mechanism for sheety 'feeding devices, a clutch, a clutch throw-out shaft,means carried thereby for operating said clutch, calipering mechanisinfor the sheetsybeing fed, a pendant providedwitha f tooth, a driven'shaft provided with a ratchet,

connections vbetween' said pendant and the throw-out shaft,'and means controlledy by said caliperingl mechanism permitting said ratchet to enga Ve saidtooth tooperatewsaid throw- Outsllaft.v '41, v

@clutch controlling device.

2..'1'1'1V a Y 'caliperingf mechanism forrsheet feeding devices, a hollow stayfshaft, a cali?Y 'pering' device adjustable as a unit along saidY shaft, a clutch 'throw-out rod passing through saidstay kshaft,-a clutch, andmeans carried by saidrod :for operating said clutch.

3. In arcalipering mechanism `for sheetfeeding devices, a clutch, a throW-'outshafn means carried on one Vend thereof for actuatfy ing'said'elutch, a lever mounted on the other endthereof, a calipering element, a pendant controlled thereb a driven shaft, j means carried therebya apted to engagesaid pendant tomove the same, and' connections between Vsaid pendant and said lever.

'Se i 4. InV a `calipermgmechanism for sheet f feedingdeViCeS, a clutch, a throw-out shaft,Vv `means carried on one end thereof for actuat-y ing said' clutch, a lever mounted on theother f i end thereof, a calipering element,a pendant 'controlled thereby, ya driven shaft, means carried therebyand adaptedto engage saidA pendant to moveV the. same, connections be tween said .pendanty and vsaidlever,and-fa snap-action spring associated with said lever.y

Y `5. Inga calipering mechanismfor sheet i feeding devices, a driven .shaft and a Vpendant provided with interengaging means, a detent normally holding said pendant outy of exivgagement with said driven shaft,a caliper ing element controlling` saiddetent, a clutch, n a clutch.'controllingrdevice and connections y between said pendant andsaid clutch controllin'gdevice. f l

6; In` av calipering mechanism for sheet feeding devices, a' driven shaft and apendant provided with interengaging means,fa detent normally holding said pendent out of engagement withsaid driven shaft, aY calipering ele-7 ment controlling saidy detent, a Vbell-crank lever connected to said detent, a throW-outdevice connected to said lever, and a clutch controlled by said throw-out device. Y

Y 7'. In;y a calipering mechanism forfsheet feeding'devices, a tapeconveyor, a calipering rollerfrictionally driven there'liif, avcaliyparing member cooperating -With sai( ,calipering roller, a detent adaptedto be actuated by the movement of said calipering member, a pendanty controlled bysaid detent, a feed roller,- means carried therebyfor actuating said pendant, a clutch controlling devlce, and

connections between said 'pendant and said 8. In a calipering mechanism for sheet feeding devices.,` a clutch, a throW-out'device therefor, a pendant' connected withy the throw-,out device, a driven shaft provided with means for engaging said pendant to move ythe latter and operate saidthrow-ont device, a detent normally vholding said pendant away from said means, and a calipering mechanismV controllingsaid detent. V

,9. In a calipering mecl'ianismy `for sheet f'eedi-ngdevices, ai clutch, lmeans for. disconnol 7 lao necting said clutch, a pendant connected with said means, a driving shaft provided with means for engaging said pendant, a detent normally holding said pendant away from said last named means, and a calipering mechanism controlling said detent.

l0. ln combination, sheet feeding means, a calipering device arranged in the path of the sheet andv adapted to engage the sheet throughout its length, a clutch controlling device, and connections between said calipering device and the clutch controlling device including a pendant, a driven shaft provided with means for engaging said pendant, and a detent normally holding said pendant out of engagement with said means and controlled by said calipering device.

1l. In combination, sheet feeding means, a calipering device arranged in the path of the sheet, a clutch controlling device, and connections between said calipering device and the clutch controlling device including a pendant, a driven shaft provided with means for engaging said pendant, and means normally holding said pendant` out of engagement with said irst named means and controlled by said calipering device.

l2. In combination, sheet feeding means, a calipering device arranged in the path of the sheets, a clutch, and clutch controlling mechanism including a driven shaft provided with a ratchet, a. member adapted to be engaged with said ratchet, and means for normally holding said member out of engagement with said ratchet and controlled by said calipering device.

13. In combination, sheet feeding means, a calipering device arrange-d in thek path of the sheets being fed, a clutch, and clutch controlling mechanism including a movable element provided ywith an engaging surface, a member movable by its own weight into engagement with said surface, and means for normally holding said member out of operative engagement with said surface and controlled by said calipering device.

14. The combination with sheet feeding means including a feed roller, of a caliper bracket or housing supported adjacent said feed roller, a caliper roller momited on said bracket or housing, an endless sheet conveying element passing over the feed roller and the caliper roller and driving the latter, an adjusting lever carried on the bracket or housing, a normally stationary calipering member pivoted on said lever and adapted to be operated by said caliper roller when more than one sheet at a time is fed between the same and said calipering member, a roller carried by the adjusting lever and engaging the endless sheet conveying element to positively feed the sheets singly in succession between the caliper roller and the calipering member, a clutch controlling the operation of the sheet feeding device, and a member for operating said clutch mechanically connectedy 

